Nigeria’s Super Falcons defender Tosin Demehin says Zambia is not a threat to her side as the two clash this Friday in the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) quarterfinals.
The Super Falcons and Copper Queens’ last meeting in WAFCON ended in a 1-0 win for the Southern African side in the third-place playoff at the 2022 edition. However, Nigeria, who are record nine-time champions of WAFCON, have a good head-to-head record over Zambia, having beaten them 6-0 in 2014 and 4-0 in 2018 in the same competition.
Zambia will head into Friday’s clash with arguably one of the best attacking duos in world football right now—Orlando Pride star and Africa’s reigning Player of the Year, Barbra Banda, and Bay FC striker Racheal Kundananji—both of whom have netted three goals in the last three WAFCON matches.
Demehin, who plays for Galatasaray S.K. in Turkey, is unfazed and told the Super Falcons Show that Zambia is not a threat at all.
“We have a mission, and the mission is for us to take the trophy to Nigeria for the tenth time. And we are working towards the mission,” she said. “So I believe Zambia is not a threat to us. We know what brought us here. We have our goals, and we are good to go.”
Despite her bold statement, Demehin admitted that her team’s attack, which managed to score just one goal in the last two group stage games, will be key in ensuring they beat Zambia. She also praised her team’s defence, which has not yet conceded a goal in this year’s competition.
“The decision factor in the quarter-final will be the attack delivering early goals because I know if we can deliver an early goal, it’s really a plus as a team,” she stated. “From my perspective, I will say what makes the Nigerian defence solid is the teamwork, the unity, and the love amongst us, which is what has been helping us in the defensive line.”
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